Planning, Strategy and Metrics
It’s one thing to have a SMART Goal set and ready to go. It’s another thing to achieve it. This requires planning.
Now that you have a more refined picture of your Long Future via Mission(s), Vision & Legacy build; and now that you have broken down those abstract ideas (your life canvas) into nested goals that begin with the long-term and end with the design of the week, let’s take some time and explore what I like to call “The Second Secret”.
What is the first secret? It’s the “One Thing” that if you improved it would move the needle of your performance and influence. As the central theme of my book and workshop, this is a distinctly personal process that only you can discover–by careful assessment, reflection, and validation. The 1080° Sweep Assessment is designed to help you do just that.
By contrast, the second secret is universal and must be mastered by anybody who wants to progress and succeed in any arena. What is this secret? No less than “Failing Faster and Better”. This iterative process will be discussed in more detail later, but setting up this process via proper planning is our goal today.
We designed the The 1080° Sweep Assessment so that once you identified the most important Flow Factor to work on (your “One Thing”) that you could immediately craft the goal and begin tracking it–helping you stay focused and accountable until it is achieved.
Let’s explore the steps you will go through in the app to maximize your success:
Step 1: Make sure your goal is SMART
- SMART stands for: Specific, Meaningful/Measurable, Aggressive but Realistic, and Time-specific
- Once SMART move on to Step 2
Step 2: Define the outcome
- Do this by completing this sentence: “I want to…”
Step 3: Define “why” you want to achieve the goal
- Do this by completing this sentence: I want to accomplish this goal because…”
Step 4: Identify what you need to have or do to begin the process
- Do this by completing this sentence: “What do I need to do before I can take on this challenge…?”
- Note: these are one-time tasks/requirements such as: calendar an action, purchase a resource, get permission, etc.
Step 5 & 6: Identify your start and stop dates
- 30, 60 or 90 days are common time frames
Steps 7-10: Clarify inputs, metrics, feedback loops and milestones
- During these steps you are taken through a very specific process to ensure you make the connection between “doing” and “getting”–the actions you’ll take to get the results you want.
- This app even includes a success meter so you can see if you are moving the needle on your goal.
This app is designed to ensure your ultimate success for achieving any goal. It will send you daily reminders, give you access to hundreds of free resources, and give you a chance to reflect on the process.
With so many competing demands in our professional and personal lives, leveraging tools and technologies can help us stay focused. I’m hopeful you find this a valuable resource and ongoing companion to help you set and achieve your goals.